Combination pneumatic brake and propelling mechanism



May 12, 1925. W. J. LAFFEY COMBINATION PNEUMATIC BRAKE AND PROPELLING MECHANISM 1 a M 6 e a L 2 a KY1 L P 4 E. 2 G w u n 5 I ,Q Q a M d e l G i F May 12, 1925.

I W. J. LAFFEY COMBINATION PNEUMATIC BRAKE AND PROPELLING MECHANISM Filed May 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1925,

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. LAFFEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION PNEUMATIC BRAKE AND PROPELLINGMECHANISM.

Applicationfiled May 5, 1924. Serial No. 711,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. LAFFEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombination Pneumatic Brake and Propelling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to a combination pneumatic brake and propelling mechanism, and has for its object to provide such mech anism to operate individuallv on one or more of the railway vehicles of the train, which is auxiliary or supplemental to the usual brake and propellingineans, for assisting' in braking or retarding the movement of such vehicle and also for propelling or driving the same. :Another object isto provide the mechanism with air driven means, preferablyin the form of an air mo- I tor or turbine driven by the compressed air from the train'pipe line for actuating the mechanical parts of said brake and propelling mechanisms And another object is to provide means for heatingthe compressed air flowing from the main reservoir, through the train line. to increase its expansibility and pressure and thereby increase the effectiveness of my brake and propelling mechanism.

lVith the present tendency of constantly I and the train pipe line or air-b'rakeline 14 increasing the length of the railway trains and also increasing the speed of travel thereof, it is constantly necessary to provide larger and heavier locomotives in order to produce the required traction and adhesion between the locomotive drivers and the rails in order to start or to stop the train in a reasonably short time, and it is also well known that the rear vehicles of the train will crowd forward onto the llH'QCQCllllg ve- .hicles during the braking operation, and that during increase or decrease of speed the rearward vehicles will run with an unsteady motion, due to the slack in thedraw bars, etc. It is my particularobject to over- .come these conditions and to provide auxiliary mechanism attachable to and operative on the individual vehicles, and particularly on the rearward vehicles of a train, to assist in braking such rearward vehicles and thus effectively retard the crowding thereof onto the precedingyehicles; and furthermore to apparent. from the. following, description,

tion applied thereto;

7 7 Fig.6 is a vertical section 29, mounted on construct my mechanism softhatxthe same may also be used in moving orpropelling the vehicle either forward or backward, "as Y during the startingor during the hacking of the train. iAnd in addition with such mechanism the compressed air for the train line is heated and its expansive force increased in order to make my mechanism more effective. '1 i Other objects and advantages will become taken in connection with'the accompanying drawings forming partof the disclosure, and in which, Q]

Fig. 1 illustrates a train with my inven- Fig. 2 is anenlarged plan view taken on line22ofFig.1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragrnentary view taken on line 3,3 of Fig. 1; V

Fig; 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken 7 on line 44: of Fig. 2; a.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, section taken on line 5-5 of Fig.4; .and y i 1 taken on line 66 of-Fig. 2. 7 B0 Inthe drawings I have illustrated my' invention in connection with atrain'in'clud ing a locomotive 10, with its tender 11, and

.a railway vehicle 12, shown in the form of a caboose in Fig. 1. The locomotive 10 is 3 provided wlth the'usual main reservoir 13 Qii leading therefrom and having the engineers valve 15interposed therein. The caboose is provided with theusual truckZframe 16 and the rotary axles 17 and wheels 18' thereon, also the brakerig ging 19 operated by the brake cylinder 20- connected with the auxiliary reservoir 21 andthe'triple valve as best indicated in Fig.2 of the drawings. My improved mechanism for either re tarding or for propelling the vehicle comprises a bracket '24 mounted on the truck frame 16 and supporting a shaft 25 on which are mounted a pair of air motors or turbines 10o 26 and 27, which are operative in reversed directions for selectively rotating the gear 1 wheel 28 in either direction; and aniidler a short shaft 29" in bracket 7 24, is driven by gear means 30 on axle 17 of the vehicle. v This'gear means 30 is show'nin the form of teeth out directly on the. axle, infor'der to gear wheel28 and engages 1013 7 gear means 30may also consist of other suitv rotate said turbine and the shaft 17v in the. direction as indicated bythearrow in Fig.

@Fig. 6.

able means securely mounted on the axle.

These turbines 26 and 27' have been indicated byway of illustration, but will be provided of the proper size, power and speed to properly operate on'gear wheels 28 and 29 and gear means 30. a

The meansv for driving the turbines includes a reservoir or compressed air container 32 mounted with suitablesupporting means 32' under the vehicle 12 andconnec-ted with a suitable conduit 33 with the train pipe line or air-brake line 14 for conveying compressed air from said pipe line throi'lgh the check valve or one-way valve 34 into said reservoir; A three-way valve 35 is interpos'ed in a conduit 36 leading from the reservoir, and is controlled by lever means '37 connected with the stem 35 of said valve and operated by a handle 38 located inside of the vehicle or caboose 12. A pliable conduit or hose 39 extends from one outlet of said valve to turbine 26 and; similarpliable conduit or hose 40 extends from the second Outlet of said valve to the turbine 27.

The valve operating handle 38 is operated to connect the conduit 36 through valve with conduit 39 for actuating; turbine 26 to 4, or said handle 38 is turnedin the reversed direction to connect conduit 36 with conduit 40 to actuate turbine 2? and rotate said turbine and the axle in the reversed direction as indicated I'preferably also provide means for heat ing the air as it flows from the main reservoir 130m, the locomotive'through the train pipe line '14; thismeans includes coils of pipe 41 mounted in the fire box 42 and interposedin pipe 14: between the main reservoir 13 and the-engineers valve 15.

It is apparent from the above" disclosure that the .air from the air-brake line 1a effects the movement of the mechanical part of the apparatus selectively in either direction and thereby acts on or modifies the rotational movement of a rotationable member of .a train,- like an axle; and consequently that this device not only actsto propel or move the axle and the wheels selectively in either directioin but also that when the device acts in a backward direction upon the axle and wheels that by this operation it has a brain ing effect and acts in stopping and retarding the vehicle, dueto the fact that it turns the axle and wheels backward.

l vhil I have illustrated anddescri'bed the preferred form of construction for carrying 'my invention ,into' (elfect', this is capable of variation and modification without depart ing from the spirit of the invention, I,

by the arrow shown in p v member of said vehicle for modifying the therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims,

Having described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a train, the combination with the locomotive and its reservoir, a veh1cl'e, and

. an air-brake line extending from said reservoir to said vehicle; of means mounted on said vehicle and actuated-by the air from said air-brake line for operating on arot'a-table member of said vehicle selectively in reversed directions to modify the movement of said vehicle; and means interposed in said brake line and. mounted in said loco-- mounted on said vehicle to operate on the axle thereof; air driven means actuated by the air from said vbrake line for driving the first said means to operate on said axle for propelling said vehicle either forwarder backward; and means interposed in said brake line and mounted in said fire box for heating the air passing from said reservoir to said air driven means on the vehicle.

3. The combination, with a vehicle and the air-brake line thereon; of mechanical means engaging a rotatable supporting rotational movement of said member; and turbine means drlven by the air from said brake line for operating said mechanical storing compressed air from saidbrake line; and valve controlled air drlven means connected to said. container for actuatingsaid mechanical means and said member selecn tively in reversed directions.

5. The combination,with a railway vehiclc and the air-brake line thereon; of a a reservoir for containing air from said bra ke line; means for acting on an axle of said vehicle; a pair of turbines for driving said means selectively in reversed directions; and valve controlled conduit means connecting said turbines with said reservoir. 3

6. The combination, with a railway vehicle a-nd tlie air-brake line thereon; of gear means on an axle of said vehicle;'. and turbine means driven by the air from said brake line and provided with means for selectively driving said axle in opposite. didriving said gear means and axle selectively rections.

in either direction. In testimony whereof I have signed my 7. The combination, with a railway Vename to this specification in the presence 0 hicle and the air-bralire line fthereon; of a of two subscribing \VltIlQSSGS.

reservoir with a chec Valve or storing air 7 from said brake line; gearteeth on the axle I L F of said vehicle; gear means for driving said \Vitnesses: axle; and a pair of turbines connected with FREDA C. AJPLETON, 1 valve cont-rolled means to said reservoir for JosI-IUA R. H. Porrs. 

